EU offices warned over anti-Muslim film
From correspondents in Brussels
March 05, 2008 09:12pm
Article from: Agence France-Presse
THE European Commission has warned its overseas offices of the risk of protests over plans by a Dutch far-right MP to screen a film critical of Islam, which has already angered some in the Muslim world.
The EU delegations "have been informed of the fact that there is going to be this film which could have effects, given the experience in the past with the publication of cartoons of the prophet," Mohammed in Denmark, European Commission spokeswoman on external affairs Christiane Hohmann said.
The situation has not reached the "alert" stage which would signify that EU personnel were considered at risk, she said.
But "we have brought their attention to it, so that they are made aware," of the situation, Ms Hohmann said.
Muslim-majority Bangladesh has called for the broadcast to be cancelled, Afghan lawmakers have demonstrated against it and the Taliban has warned it will step up attacks on Dutch soldiers in Afghanistan.
But Geert Wilders, head of the Dutch far-right Freedom Party, said that if he finds a Dutch broadcaster to show the film uncut it could be on the air within a couple of days, and that he otherwise plans to present it at a press conference later this month and on the internet.
The film, which lasts around 15 minutes, is called Fitna, which in Arabic means war, or division, in the heart of Islam.
Last month 17 Danish dailies reprinted a drawing featuring the Prophet Mohammed's head with a turban that looked like a bomb with a lit fuse, provoking protests in several Muslim countries.<p>
The caricature was one of several drawings originally printed in 2005 that sparked violent protests that culminated in early 2006 with the torching of Danish diplomatic offices in Damascus and Beirut and the death of more than 200 people in Nigeria.
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